I haven't posted much about sports lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been following. Actually, in my last sports post, I predicted the Heat to win the NBA Finals but I said I liked Dallas if the series went 6 or 7 games. I think that's the best incorrect prediction I've ever given. I was glued to the TV last night for the first game of the College World Series Championship round between South Carolina and Florida and I was pulling hard for the Gamecocks (because I don't want UF to win anything) and hope they can close it out tonight and complete the repeat.In addition to the championship match-ups that have been taking place, I've been following the first half of the MLB season. I'm rooting hard for the Braves to stay healthy enough to remain within striking distance of the Phillies, and I hope we see some competitive division races for the second half of the season. Since the deadline for filling out an All-Star Ballot is approaching and we now have a substantial chunk of the season to rate players, I decided to cast my votes over the weekend. Here are my picks for the National League:

1B: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers: If there was a mid-season MVP award, Prince would be a strong candidate to win it. He has proven why he will demand a huge contract in the offseason and has dominated opposing pitchers while leading the Brewers to first place in the central division.2B: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers: Weeks was on his way to having a breakout year last season, but had a knee injury that sidelined him for most of the year. He has returned this year, and has provided that rare combination of power and speed to the Milwaukee lineup. It also doesn't hurt that the 2B position in the National League has been rather weak this season, with Chase Utley being injured and Dan Uggla being historically bad.SS: Jose Reyes, New York Mets: After struggling with injuries during the past couple seasons, Jose Reyes is healthy and back in form. He has weathered criticism from his owner and dealt with trade talk all season long and has kept the Mets competitive with a .500 record. Reyes is doing what he does best - getting on base and creating havoc with his speed.3B: Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves: Chipper hasn't really played like an all star this season, but neither has anyone else that plays 3B. And even though he is constantly battling injuries and always seems to be a step away from the DL, there's not a 3B that means more to his team than Chipper. He is the leader of the Atlanta clubhouse, which is still quite young, and has come up with a number of timely hits this season.C: Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves: I think McCann has been the best catcher in the game this season. I'm not glad Buster Posey is injured, but I do hope that McCann receives the attention he deserves because he was outperforming Posey before the injury anyway. McCann has been excellent with the bat and he's been extremely consistent and durable, which is quite unusual for a catcher.OF: Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers: Dude has been a freak. It seems like I read a "Matt Kemp gets game winning hit" headline once a week and he's been crushing the ball lately. He has triple crown-like numbers and is carrying a Dodgers team that is dealing with a ridiculous amount of distractions. It appears that Kemp has shed the "lazy" label and is showing his potential as a complete player.OF: Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks: A couple years ago, people were talking about B.J. Upton being one of the next great young outfielders in the game - they were talking about the wrong Upton. Justin Upton has been one of the keys to this turnaround year for the Diamondbacks and deserves to have a spot on this year's All Star team.OF: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates: It feels like someone from the Pirates belongs in the starting lineup and I think McCutchen has earned it. He's unbelievably fast on the bases and in the outfield, and he's improved his plate discipline and power. The Pirates have been one of the great stories in baseball this year and McCutchen is one of the exciting pieces they are building that team around.*You only vote for 3 outfielders on an All Star Ballot, not specific positions (CF, LF, RF)**There is not an option for voting for pitchers, but my choice for the SP for the NL would be Jair Jurrjens.

I'm typically not into getting the newest CD's or figuring out the best new music, but I am a fan of free music. I try to download free songs that are available on iTunes or Amazon.com whenever they are available and keep an eye out for free promo codes that are out there. Usually, this gives me the opportunity to download some mediocre music by bands no one has ever heard of. So when I heard about a free sampler from the Dave Matthews Band Caravan Tour, I was excited to get that download.The DMB Caravan Tour is a very small tour in terms of locations, but a HUGE show. The Dave Matthews Band sets up in a city for a weekend and they play 3 straight nights, and he's got some awesome bands along with him including: O.A.R., Ray Lamontagne, The John Butler Trio, Bela Fleck, Amos Lee, and many more. I've never been to a DMB show, but I've heard he is an amazing live performer and those other bands would be great to see as well. Too bad they will only be playing in Chicago, New York, and George, WA.

Since I'm unable to make it to the show, I will gladly take a free sampler featuring some of the bands from the tour. For the link to redeem on iTunes, click here. The code is available until October 5. I found out about this promotion from The Shoptimist, a blog through The Roanoke Times that focuses on deals and discounts. I've been listening to the sampler for the past couple days and I'm really enjoying it. I love DMB and O.A.R. and I like being exposed to some other new bands. Download the sampler and check them out!

My Review of The Homeplace in Roanoke

The Homeplace. I really don't think it gets much better. It's delicious southern comfort food and hospitality in a beautiful location. My family has been going to The Homeplace for 25 years, and the quality has remained the same all those years.

Everything about this restaurant is the epitome of southwest Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's located in an old southern plantation style home at the foot of the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains and it's surrounded by farms and horse pastures.

It feels like you're having a meal in someone's home. They have porch swings, benches, and gazebos for waiting outside, or there's a lobby where they occasionally have live bluegrass music being played. The tables are set in different rooms of the house and the decor is nice, but there's nothing too fancy about it. It's the type of atmosphere that is comfortable for people who have been hiking on the trail, or people who are celebrating a special occasion.

If I were writing a "Best Thing I Ever Ate" post, I think The Homeplace would win in at least four categories: fried chicken, green beans, biscuits, & cobbler (coleslaw makes a push for the 5th category). My preference with fried chicken is for it to be darker and crispy, and The Homeplace has this down. It has beautiful color and crunch and I think it tastes amazing. I also don't think you can find green beans that taste any better. The beans are sweet and tender and are with cooked pieces of ham, which creates more delicious juice and flavor. The biscuits are fluffy and not too dense and sop up all the juices from the other food perfectly - it helps me completely clean my plate. And the peach cobbler with the homemade vanilla ice cream...heavenly. The way the glass bowl is hot on the bottom with the hot cobbler and then cold on top with the ice cream is just magical.

I could go on and on about The Homeplace. At $14 per person, it's a very good value for all the food you get. I think the food is some of the best in the area and the service is excellent, and it just has southern charm. Whenever we have guests from out of town, we always make it a point to take them to dinner there because I don't think you can beat the experience. I have shared many great memories with family and friends at The Homeplace and I hope to be able to do so for many years to come.

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From Ballparks to BBQ is a blog that focuses on food, sports, and travel. Whether it's a restaurant review, game preview, or what to do in a city, I'm here to offer my thoughts and suggestions. Learn more >

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